This edition was prepared by David Anderson — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Don’t leave the farm
Staff Notation • Secular, Partsongs
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Don’t leave the farm by Howard Kingsbury — Lyrics
Come boys, I have something to tell you,
Come near, I would whisper it low,
You’re thinking of leaving the homestead,
Don’t be in a hurry to go.
The city has many attractions,
But think of the vices and sins,
When once in the vortex of fashion,
How soon the course downward begins.
You talk of the mines of Australia,
They’re wealthy in gold without doubt,
But ah! there is gold on the farm, boys,
If only you’d shovel it out.
The mercantile trade is a hazard,
The goods are first high and then low,
Best risk the old farm a while longer,
Don’t be in a hurry to go.
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About Don’t leave the farm
This energetic SATB part-song is a spirited call to the young men of the time, urging them not to be too hasty in leaving the family farm for the perceived glories of the city or distant lands. The composer Howard Kingsbury sets an English text that paints a vivid picture of rural life, contrasting it with the potential dangers and fleeting pleasures of urbanisation and overseas ventures. It speaks of the hidden wealth and enduring value found in honest work on the land, cautioning against the 'vortices of fashion' and the speculative risks of trade. The piece is a robust affirmation of agricultural life and the rewards of perseverance, delivered with a confident, compelling musical voice suitable for a secular choir.
